Viewpoint of a Linux Technologisthttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenWhy is SCO taking action against corporate giants like IBM? How will all of these lawsuits affect the corporate acceptance of Linux? What are the most exciting software projects taking place right now? Follow this Linux Technologist as he provides his unique perspective on these issues and all the latest developments in the IT community.en-usTue, 03 Mar 2015 18:05:02 +0000ITtoolbox RSS Generator 1.0hourly14 years later, what's changed?http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/4-years-later-whats-changed-24114?rss=1Everything!
It's ironic to me to be writing this entry while my primary job duties generally involve Windows Server 2003. At home, I use Macs (my Mac Book Pro is currently booted into Windows XP, but usually it's running Leopard.)
I don't even have a Linux desktop system any more. When I want Unix I use Leopard. I do have a Debian VMware Player virtual machine, but it's mostly a development system.
But I'm going to try and write a bit more on this blog. I know it's been a long time -- linuxmac book prowindows server 2003leopard24114@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenThu, 01 May 2008 00:12:36 GMTNovell: The ''quiet'' IT companyhttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/novell-the-quiet-it-company-758?rss=1There's some interesting articles in Business Week about Linux about a month ago. Here's one that sizes up Red Hat competitor Novell.
For a long time I think the IT punditariat saw Novell as the "quiet billion dollar software company." (Anyone besides me remember those Northwestern Mutual insurance ads?)
Novell could be summed up in a quaint sentence: they have a tidy business supporting legacy NetWare customers, but not a lot else really going for them. But last year they made some biLinuxnovelllinuxstrategylinuxdistributorlinuxworldnorthwesternmutualblockquotebetnetwarecustomerseffusiveximianbusinessdesktoptechnologycontentprinttechnologybigwavespositivenewsinterestingarticles758@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenWed, 21 Apr 2004 18:20:20 GMTAT&T Wireless: Failed CRM upgrade cost $100 million in lost revenueshttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/att-wireless-failed-crm-upgrade-cost-100-million-in-lost-revenues-750?rss=1The latest <a title="AT&T Wireless Self-Destructs - Project Management | AT&T Wireless - upgrade meant to improve customer service at AT&T crippled it; outsourcing in midst of implementation can be disastrous - CIO Magazine Apr 15,2004" href="http://www.cio.com/archive/041504/wireless.html?printversion=yes">CIO Magazine</a> has a superbly cautionary tale of project management done in the worst possible way.
According to the article, the project problems may have cost the company upto $1Punditryciomagazineoutsourcingdealscingularblockquotebusinessmaxims24htmltruebusinessnumberportabilityimprovecustomerservicesystemupgrades750@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenMon, 19 Apr 2004 20:10:42 GMTThe Economist: What now, Scott McNealy?http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/the-economist-what-now-scott-mcnealy-720?rss=1The Economist has a great analysis of the recent Sun v. Microsoft settlement. Read it <a title="Economist.com | Articles by Subject | Face value" href="http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=2571950&subjectID=348909">here.</a> Key grafs:<blockquote>Microsoft and Sun have a new common enemy: Linux, an operating system that competes with Windows and with Sun's Solaris but which, unlike the other two, is written by volunteers and shared freely among all whotheeconomistopensourcelinuxmicrosoftsettlementgrafsblockquotemonopolyrentsgadflysolarisstoryidjabreapsco720@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenTue, 13 Apr 2004 18:02:29 GMTPacBell Park's new WiFi systemhttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/pacbell-parks-new-wifi-system-719?rss=1The San Jose Mercury News published a "man-on-the-street" article which gets fan reaction to Pacific Bell Park's new WiFi hotspot enabled baseball park. Unsurprisingly, some fans liked it, some fans don't. During this initial introduction period, the service is free. Baseball fan Kevin Fong <a title="Ballpark WiFi gets a mixed reception" href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8421055.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp">is quoted</a>:<blockquote>Fong, a computer programmer Punditrywifihotspotbaseballfansiliconvalleyblockquotebaseballparkkevinfongpacificbellparkbellparkfreebaseballscoregamesalphageekstatupdatesspillbeerintroductionperiodgamescoringwilliemaysrssfanreaction719@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenTue, 13 Apr 2004 17:58:15 GMTModernizing the IRS: a case study in failurehttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/modernizing-the-irs-a-case-study-in-failure-707?rss=1Today's object lesson in enormous, complex project implementation... <a title="For the IRS There's No EZ Fix - business unit accountability critical to complex project; costs of ever-changing project leadership; Lessons from IRS's failures - CIO Magazine Apr 1,2004" href="http://www.cio.com/archive/040104/irs.html?printversion=yes">CIO Magazine</a> has a long, revealing article about the IRS' woes in trying to modernize its business systems. According to the article, the tax rolls of the U.S. FPunditryciomagazineirsdefinitelyhtmlprojectleadershipcomputingsystemsfederaltreasuryleadershiplessonsdatabasesystemaccountability707@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenThu, 08 Apr 2004 15:29:53 GMTBlogging in business?http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/blogging-in-business-576?rss=1<a title="Economist.com: Blogging goes to work" href="http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=2477025&subjectID=348963">The Economist</a> reports on a growing trend of business blogging, both as an internal medium for employees and an external medium for customer communication.
For those of us into blogging already, this is an interesting development. There's no denying that blogging can be useful in a few areas, like the ones profiled, but I'm still skeBusinesstheeconomistbloggingcustomercommunicationstoryidskepticalcfm576@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenThu, 08 Apr 2004 14:38:01 GMTMobile phones on airplaneshttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/mobile-phones-on-airplanes-689?rss=1The Economist reports on a new technology called "pico-cells." These cellular points of presence allow one to use a cell phone on board an airplane without interfering with ground based cellular signals. The pico-cell uses satellite technology to uplink the cellular signals -- and provide wireless IP for computers.
Read about it <a title="Economist.com | Articles by Subject | Mobile phones on planes" href="http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/PrinterFriendly.cfm?Story_ID=255917Cool Toolstheeconomistcellularsignalspicosatellitetechnologywirelessipnewtechnologymobilephonespointsofpresencestoryiduplinkcfmhopefullycomputers689@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenMon, 05 Apr 2004 18:28:42 GMTOfficial GNOME 2.6 release webpageshttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/official-gnome-26-release-webpages-665?rss=1No April Fool's Joke... here're the GNOME 2.6 Release Notes. They look great and detail all the new improvements in my favorite Free desktop environment. Linuxgnomeorgindexhtmlnotesindexdesktopenvironmentaprilfoolfreedesktopenvironmentfreedesktopjokeimprovementsreleasenotes665@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenThu, 01 Apr 2004 12:00:02 GMTGreat preview of GNOME 2.6http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/great-preview-of-gnome-26-657?rss=1Ars Technica has a <a title="Ars Technica: Inside the GNOME 2.6 Desktop and Developer Platform - Page 1 - (3/2004)" href="http://www.arstechnica.com/reviews/004/software/gnome-2.6/gnome-2.6-1.html">great preview</a> including lots of screen shots of the improved GNOME 2.6 desktop which is set to be released tomorrow April 1, 2004.
If you're like me and tend to "upgrade" GNOME releases by installing an updated Linux distribution, you might be in for a bit of wait while GNOME 2.6 is incorporateLinuxarstechnicagnomedevelopersarstechnicaahreffedoradialoglinuxdistributionhtmlwelcomechangesdistroredhat657@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenWed, 31 Mar 2004 12:15:20 GMTThe sky is falling!http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/the-sky-is-falling-617?rss=1The European Union is set <a title="Silicon Valley" href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/8255713.htm">to fine Microsoft</a> a whopping $615 million for antitrust abuses.<blockquote>"This ruling is yet another example of the EU assaulting a successful American industry and policies that support our economic growth," said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Microsoft's home state of Washington...
Murray called on the Bush administration to "engage" the EU in setMicrosoftmicrosoftsiliconvalleynewsamericanjobsblockquotechumpchangemonopolypattymurraynewseditorialeyepoppingmldmediaplayer617@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenTue, 23 Mar 2004 18:29:46 GMTIT Worker? Don't like your job? Take a number.http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/it-worker-dont-like-your-job-take-a-number-616?rss=1The City and Guilds of London Institute posted <a title="The City and Guilds of London Institute" href="http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk/servlet/page?_pageid=694&_dad=cg2&_schema=PORTAL30&_type=site&_fsiteid=393&_fid=44744&_fnavbarid=1&_fnavbarsiteid=393&_fedit=0&_fmode=2&_fdisplaymode=1&_fcalledfrom=1&_fdisplayurl=">a survery</a> on its website about the happiness of workers in various fields. Turns out only 14% of IT workers are "very happy" in their jobs while hairdressers, plumbers and chefBusinesslondoninstituteblockquotejobsrespectivelycityguildsjobsatisfactionchrishumphrieshairdressersfidplumberschefshappiness616@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenTue, 23 Mar 2004 18:11:34 GMTStuzt's essay on ''commodity software''http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/stuzts-essay-on-commodity-software-548?rss=1(Link via <a href="http://slashdot.org">Slashdot</a>)
<a href="http://www.synthesist.net">David Stutz</a> wrote an <a title="Open Source Directory :: OSDir.com" href="http://osdir.com/PrintArticle204.phtml">intriguing essay</a> about the history of global commodities (i.e., sugar, oil, cotton, etc.) and the emerging "commodification" of software.
Software, he points out is constantly changing, and<blockquote>[b]y definition, something that changes constantly cannot be a commodity; the commoPunditryslashdotblockquotemicrosoftextensionskerberosimplementationopenofficeunfortunatelydefinitelyproprietaryxmlahrefenthusiasticintriguinghtmlcommoditydataopensourceadvocacyopensourcedirectoryglobalcommoditieslinuxadvocatesdavidstutzdri548@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenTue, 09 Mar 2004 16:18:29 GMTSCO confirms ''Halloween X'' memo, denies Microsoft involvementhttp://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/sco-confirms-halloween-x-memo-denies-microsoft-involvement-532?rss=1According to this <a title="Leaked Memo Revives SCO-Microsoft Connection Furor" href="http://www.eweek.com/print_article/0,1761,a=120911,00.asp">article</a> in eWeek, SCO admits the <a href="http://www.opensource.org/halloween/halloween10.html">"Halloween"</a> memo is authentic, but SCO, Microsoft and Baystar Capital, the firms implicated in the message deny the conclusions drawn by Eric Raymond.
This item is to follow up yesterday's post which mentioned the above linked Halloween memo in passiLinuxhalloweenmemoscomicrosoftconnectionbaystarcapitaleweekahrefprintarticleericraymondfuroropensourceasphtml532@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenFri, 05 Mar 2004 15:07:07 GMTGnomeMeeting 1.0!http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallen/gnomemeeting-10-520?rss=1Readers who've been checking in for a while know that VoIP is a personal technology interest of mine. That's why the announcement of GnomeMeeting's 1.0 software release is a piece of great news. <a title="GnomeMeeting" href="http://www.gnomemeeting.org/index.php">GnomeMeeting</a> is H.323 client that runs under Linux and can interoperate with most other H.323 VoIP clients. But there's more that you can do with GnomeMeeting than audio or video conference with other computer users.
For example,Cool Toolsvoippersonaltechnologytechnologyinterestorgindexlinuxphpgnomemeetingpctophonevideoconferencephonesessionworldphonephonenumber520@http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/mrallenThu, 04 Mar 2004 17:35:38 GMT